Sack-sewing machine.



No; 729,724. PATENTED JUNE 2,1903.

' J. L. BOYLE.

SACK SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00127, 1902.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

'NO MODEL.

P U N 1 x PATENTED JUNE 2, @903.

J. L. BOYLE. SACK SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.27. 1902 a SHEETSSHEET 2.

no MODEL.

{Q Q aw Nu 1 110.729,?24. PATENTED JUNE '2, 1903."

' J.L.B0,YLE.

SACK SEWING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION'IILED OCT. 27, 1902. 7

N0 MODEL. 3'$HEBTSSHEET 3.

TED- STATES Patented (Tune 2, 1903.

JOHN LEE BOYLE, or HARRISBURG, OREGON.

SAC K -SEWING MACHINE.

.SPEGIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,724, dated J'une 2, 1903. Application filed October 2'7 1902. Serial No. 128,976. (No model.)

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN LEE BOYLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Linn andState of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Sack- Sewing Machine, of which the following is a specification. The inventionrelates to certain improve-j ments in machines for sewing the mouths of filled sacks.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a machine of simple construction by means of which the edges of the mouth of a filled sack may be quickly united by stitching, and thus avoid the waste of time incurred in sewing the sacks by hand,as ordinarily practiced at the present time.

The invention further relates to improvements in the construction of the sewing-needle and in the mechanism for automatically threading the needle at the end of each 0perative movement.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts; hereinafter described,illustrate'd in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the in-.

vention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a sacksewing machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

10 and 11 are respectively an elevation and Fig. 2 is a side elevation. of the same, illustrating the arrangement of the mechanism fortransmittin g movement to Fig. 7 is a trans plan view of the cam for actuating the thread severing devices.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout struction connected by suitable transverse stay-barsand provided with suitable bearings for the reception of a main driving-shaft 11, having a belt or gear-wheel 12, to which motion is imparted from any suitable source of power. of the frame are bearings for the reception of transverse shafts 14 and 15, extending entirely across the frame and provided at each end with sprocket-wheels 16, over which pass link belts 17, one of such beltsbeing arranged at each side of the machine. On the shaft 11 is a gear-segment 18, extending through an arc of about one hundred and eighty degrees and adapted to alternately engage gearwheels 19 and 20, mounted on studs projecting from one side of the frame. The small gears 19 and 20 are secured to or formed in- .tegral with sprocket-wheels 21 and 22, re-

spectively. The shaft 14 carries a sprocketwheel 23,and over this sprocket-wheel and sprocket-wheel 21 extends a link belt24. for imparting movement to the link bolts 17 in one direction, while movement in the opposite directionis imparted through the medium of a sprocket-wheel 25, secured to the shaft 15, and a link belt 26, connecting said sprocket-wheel to the sprocket-wheel 22. The shaft 11 is continuously rotated in one direction and imparts motion to the link bolts 17 first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, this movement being for the purpose of reciprocating the sewing-needle and for imparting motion to other portions of the apparatus. The side frames are each provided with horizontal flanges or webs 30, under which are guided the opposite sides of an open needle-carrying frame 31, said frame being supported in position by rollers 32,

mounted on brackets on the needle-carrier and adapted to travel on the upper surface The needle-carrier is seof the flange 80.

At points near the opposite ends cured to the lower run of the link belts 17 and receives reciprocating movement from said belts through the driving mechanism previously described.

The needle 33 is helical in form and of sufficient lengthto sew a sack of ordinary width, and the shank of said needle is secured in any suitable manner to the outer end of a revoluble shaft or spindle 34, adapted to suitable bearings at the central portion of the needlecarrier. The rear end of the shaft 34 is provided with a hevelgear 35, intermeshing with a bevel gear 36 on a transverse shaft 37, adapted to hearings on the needle-carrier, and at each end of the shaft 37 are pinions 38, intermeshing with stationary rack-bars 39, secured to or formed integral with the side bars j of the stationary frame, so that as the needlecarrier is reciprocated the shaft 34 and needle will be revolved first in one direction to thrust the needle through the material of which the sack is formed and then in reverse direction to withdraw said needle.

At the front end of the needle-carrier are bearings for the support of a pair of axiallyalining shafts 40, each provided at one end with a pinion 41, intermeshing with the stationary racks 39, and at the opposite end of each shaft is a bevel-gear 42, intermeshing with a similar gear 43, mounted on a stud projecting from the needle-carrier. Secured to each of the bevel-gears 43 is a horizontallydisposed disk 44, having peripheral teeth adapted to engage with the sack fabric and hold the mouth of the sack closed slightly in advance of the needle in order to permit the latter to properly operate, the disk and needle traveling together and the disks being always slightly in advance of the thread-engaging portion of said needle. The outer end of the needle is formed with a stationary and a movable jaw or latch held in open position by a spring when the needle is not in use. The latch 46 is so shaped as to form one-half of the pointed end of the needle, and the adjacent faces of the stationary jaw and latch are recessed to form an. eye 47, into which the thread is guided and retained during the sewing operation. The latch is pivoted to the stationary portion of the needle by means of a pin 48 and at its inner end is laterallyextended to form a thread-engaging bill 49, and during the thrusting movement of the needle the thread is held taut over this bill to maintain the latch in closed position against the influence of the opening spring 50. When the tension on the thread is released, the latch immediately opens and permits the needle to withdraw, leaving the sewing-thread in position to he knotted or otherwise secured, the needle returning to initial position and being automatically threaded at the beginning of the next sewing operation.

To a portion of the stationary frame is socured a horizontally-disposed spindle 52, on which is mounted the ratchet-wheel 53 of a threading device comprising a plurality of radiating arms 54--four in the present instance-each of these arms being provided at the spool.

its outer end with thread clamping jaws, which are successively moved into thread-engaging position. Each of the arms 54 is provided with an offset portion 55 in alinement with the horizontal plane of the needle to permit the free reciprocation of said needle, and at the extreme outer end of each arm is a stationary clamping-jaw 56, adapted to coact with a spring-closed clamping-jaw 57, pivoted to said arm. Each of the movable clampingjaws is provided with a rearwardly-extending arm 58, adapted to be engaged by stationary cams 59 and 60, which open the jaws to permit the entrance and release of the sewingthread. The needle-threading devices are normally held in the position illustrated in Fig. 4 during the thrust and return movement of the needle, the end of the thread being held by the clamping-jaws at one end of the horizontallydisposed arms, the thread thence running at an angle of about fortyfive degrees and passing'through the open jawsof the dependingarm,and thencethrough a stationary guiding-eye 61 to the spool 62, the movable jaw of the depending arm being at this time engaged by the cam 59 in order that any clamping movement of said jaw on the thread may be prevented. To prevent the thread from being pulled up to the hingepoint of the jaws, the stationaryjaw is preferably provided with an elongated pin 64, forming a support for the thread and adapted to a suitable guiding-opening 65 in the movable jaw. At each operation of the machine the ratchet-wheel 53 is engaged by a movable rack 66, carried by the needle-frame, said rack being of such construction as to slide over the ratchet-teeth during the thrust or sewing movement of the needle and being adapted to engage the ratchet wheel and move the same through an arc of ninety degrees during the latter portion of the return stroke of the needle. During the sewing operation the end of the thread is held between the clamping-jaws of the horizontal arm farthest from the needle when the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 4 and the needle-latch is open. As the needle moves forward the thread is caught between the fixed jaw of the needle and the latch 46 and guided to the eye 47, the tension on the thread being then sufficient to move the latch to closed position. During the remainder of the sewing movement the end of the thread is still held between the clamping jaws of the threader and is gradually withdrawn from At the end of the sewing operation the bight of the thread is thrust slightly beyond the end of the sack, where it may be secured by being looked over one of the usual ears, after which the needle is withdrawn, the first movement .of the needle releasing the thread and permitting free movement of the needle while the thread remains in position. When the rearward movement of the needle is nearly completed, the rack 66 engages the ratchet-wheel 53 and starts to turn the ratchetwheel to effect a quarter-revolution of said wheel and the arms of the threader. The first efiect of this movement will be to move the arm 58 of the movable jaw of the depending threader-arm from engagement with the cam 59, allowing the clamping-jaws to firmly close on the thread and thence draw the end of the thread until the arm assumes a horizontal position. The revolving movement of the ratchet-wheel also moves the horizontal arm of the threader, which up to this time has been clamping and holding the thread into engagement with the. cam 60, the thread being released and fallingdown out of the way. these movements of the threader to out the thread at a point between the two clampingarms, so that when the depending arm assumes the horizontal position it will carry the extreme end of the thread, and for this purpose I employ a pair of cutting-knives and 71, carried by, transversely-guided bars 72, the outer ends of which are adapted to be engaged by cams 73 on the needle-carrying frame,said cams effecting simultaneous movement of the knives toward each other to sever the thread at the proper moment, and the operation occurring immediately after the jaws of the depending threader-arm move from the cam 59 and clamp upon the thread. The cams 73 must be of such construction as to operate only on the rearward movement of the needle-carriage, and for this purpose are preferably of the character shown, being of wedgelike form in elevation and pivoted on studs 74 to the side members of the needle-carriage. The cams are normally held in elevated po sition by torsion-springs 75, their upper inclined faces moving into engagement with the under sides of the bar 72 as the needlecarrier moves forward and the cams being depressed against the action of the springs. On therearward movement of the carriage the ends of the bars 72 are engaged with the inclined actuating-faces of the cams and. are moved toward each other to an extent sufficient to sever the thread. During the sewing operation the bags rest on a base-plate on the floor, and after one end has been engaged be tween the two disks 44: the opposite end is held by the operator. After the thread is cut the bags are moved away and another bag adjusted in proper position, a movable platform being preferably arranged under the machine for convenience in handling heavy bags, the bags being merely thrown on the platform and moved to the opposite end of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- I 1. In a sack-sewing machine, a reciprocating helical needle, means for revolving said needle, a frame carrying the needle, and a sack-engaging means carried by the frame and disposed at a point in advance of the pointed end of .the needle, said guiding device being movable in a plane parallel with It becomes necessary during the plane of reciprocating movement of said needle.

2. In a sack-sewing machine, a reciprocating helical needle, means for revolving said 'needle, means for threading the needle at the beginning of its forward movement and for holding one end of the thread during the sewing operation, a thread-severing means, and mechanism for operating the same during the latter portion of the return movement of said needle.

3. In a sack-sewing machine, a frame, a needle-carrier guided thereon, means forimparting reciprocating movement to the needlecarrier, a helical needle, means forthreading the same, a revoluble needle-carrying shaft having hearings on the needle-carrier, a transverse shaft, bevel-gears operatively connecting the transverse shaft to the needle-carrying shaft, a pinion carried by said transverse shaft, and a stationary rack-bar intermeshing with said pinion for efiecting the rotation of the needle during the reciprocatingmove "ment of the needle-carrier.

4. In a sack-sewing machine, a frame, a needlecarrier guided thereon, guidingsprockets disposed nearopposite ends of the frame, link belts secured to the needle-carrier and adapted to said sprockets, a revoluble.segment, pinions alternately intermeshing with said segment, sprocket-wheels and link belts for transmitting the movements of the pinions to the guiding-sprocket, a helical needle, means for threading the same, a shaft carrying'the needle and having bearings on the needle-carrier,a transverse shaft, bevelgears connecting said transverse shaft to the needle-carrying shaft, a pinion on said needle-carrying shaft, a rack on the stationary frame and intermeshing with said pinion, sack-guiding disks supported by the needlecarrier in advance of the point of the needle, and gearing connections between the stationary rack and the disks, substantially as specified.

5. In a sack-sewing machine, a helical needle, a movable latch carried by the needle and adapted to open toreceive a thread, and a needle threading device comprising means for clamping and holding a thread in the path of movement of the needle and for securely holding one end of the thread during the sowing operation.

6. In a sack-sewing machine, ahelicalneedle, a movable latch carried by the needle and adapted to open to receive the thread, and a needle-threading device comprising I means for clamping and holding a thread in the path of movement of the needle, said clamp being maintained in engagement with oneend of the thread during the thrust or sewing movement of the needle.

7. In a sack-sewing machine, the combination with threading mechanism, of a pointed helical sewing-needle, a movable latch carried by the needle and adapted to open for the reception of athread, there being a threadreceiving eye formed in the adjacent faces of the fixed portion of the needle and the latch,-

and a thread-engaging bill formed on the tensional strain of the thread during the sewing operation.

9. Ina sack-sewing machine, a helical needle having a movable latch at its pointed end adapted to open to receive a thread, a spring tending to move the latch to open position, a revoluble needle-threader comprising a plurality of arms each having a thread-engaging clamp and adapted to hold the thread in the path of movement of the needle, and means for opening and for closing said clamps.

10. In a sack-sewing machine, a helical nee dle having a movable latch at its pointed end adapted to open to receive a thread, aspring' tending to open the latch, a revoluble needlethreader comprising a plurality of arms each I having a thread-engaging clamp, stationary cams adapted to engage movable portions of the clamps to open the same and release the threads, and means for imparting intermittent rotative movement to said needlethreader.

11. In a sack-sewing machine, a helical nee? dle having a movable latch at its pointed end adapted to open to receive a thread, a revoluble needle-threader comprising a plurality of arms each having an offset portion to permit the passage of the needle, a fixed thread-enw gaging jaw at the end of each arm, a spring pressed jaw cooperating therewith, cams for effecting opening movement of the springpressed jaws, a thread-guiding pin carried by each jaw, and means for imparting an intermttent rotative movement to said needlethreader.

12. Inasack-sewing machine, ahelical needle, a reciprocating needle-carrier, a pivoted latch forminga part of the needle and adapted to open to receive a thread, a needlethreader comprising a plurality of arms having thread engaging and clamping means, a ratchet-wheel connected to said arms, a supporting-stud for the ratchet-wheel, and a rack supported by the needle-carrier and adapted to engage with and turn said ratchet-wheel during the latter portion of the returning movement of the needle-carrier.

13. In a sack-sewing machine, areciprocating needle, a carrier for said needle, means for imparting reciprocating movement to the carrier,an automatic needle-threading means, a pair of knives for severing the thread at the completion of each movement of the neodle, transverse bars carrying said knives, cams pivotally mounted on the needle-carrier and having upper inclined surfaces for engaging the bars during the forward movement of the carrier, and being further provided with inclined surfaces for imparting movement to the knife-carrying bars during the rearward movement of said needle-carmen In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aifixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN LEE BOYLE.

Witnesses:

MAY RIGGS, T. A. RIGGS. 

